Semiconductor devices are typically fabricated using one or more photolithography processes. Continual improvements in photolithography have allowed semiconductor devices to achieve higher density, resulting in an increase in performance. As technology advances and the need for high performance semiconductor devices continues to increase, newer methods of optical lithography must be developed. One method of photolithography uses Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) light as a lithographic radiation source. EUV light can be produced by creating a small, hot plasma out of a material such as xenon, which may efficiently radiate at a desired wavelength, for example 13.5 nm. The plasma is typically created in a vacuum or low-pressure chamber, typically by driving a pulsed electrical discharge through a fuel material, or by focusing a pulsed laser beam onto a fuel material. The light produced by the plasma is then collected by nearby mirrors and sent downstream to the rest of the lithography tool.
Debris and gases may be released by this plasma, either directly from the fuel material used, or indirectly from the erosion of nearby materials. The debris and gases may travel downstream in the lithography tool and damage sensitive mirrors and other optical components. In addition, the type of fuel used may similarly cause damage. One or more debris mitigation schemes, such as, for example, foil traps, gas curtains, baffling, and shielding may be used to partially block the debris while allowing an open path for the EUV light to pass through. However, some techniques will block debris and gases better than others, and there is a continual need for improved debris mitigation devices.